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Do what you enjoy, persevere through challenges and choose your mentors and collaborators wisely were some of the messages taken away from a recently Career Development Forum.

For more than 90 postgraduate students and post-docs the ComBio2013 conference in Perth kicked off with the Career Development Forum held at UWA.

They were treated to a great mix of inspiring and informative presentations and, despite differences in the speakers' career paths, an emphasis on doing what you enjoy, persevering through challenges, choosing collaborators and mentors wisely, and the role of serendipity were common threads throughout the talks.

A former President of the ASBMB , Professor Phillip Nagley (Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, Monash University), was the first speaker of the forum and told the story of his distinguished career in science and how he "made it work". He spoke about the challenge of "finding (or having to fight for!) your place in the sun" (particularly when returning to work with an ex-supervisor) and the importance of gaining international experience and creating collaborative relationships with people in areas in which you want to grow. He also highlighted the synergistic value of being involved in both research and teaching, as well as the benefits of getting involved in committees and professional societies in further developing peer networks.

Associate Professor Brent Kaiser (School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide) offered advice to successfully secure a tenured academic position including planning strategically, developing a brand image and being willing to work hard, but also being open and flexible to possible changes in research direction and/or the need to relocate. He further highlighted the importance of travel for building networks and emphasised that while relocation is often difficult and expensive the rewards greatly outweigh the costs. He reflected on his time as a post-doc in productive and "happy" labs which led to his goal to emulate that experience as he developed his own group but he also conceded that the challenges of people management become increasingly important as your research team grows.

Professor Jenny Martin (ARC Australian Laureate Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland) gave an honest account of her career to date and engaged the audience by asking them to consider what leadership qualities are important for a successful career in science as well as the reasons for fewer women being in leadership positions in science. It was refreshing to hear her admit that certain leadership attributes don't come naturally to her and that, despite being told that she was not seen as a leader and contemplating leaving science, she drew on her own resilience and inspiration from female role models to persevere and, ultimately, maintain a successful research career. She also outlined the advantages of increasing the number of women in leadership positions and challenged the audience to ask about gender policies in their workplaces and to stand up and speak up against prejudice.

Professor Nancy Longnecker (Science Communication, University of Western Australia) gave unique insights into her transition from an agricultural scientist, in fixed term positions funded by "soft" money for many years, to a tenured social scientist, focussing on understanding how to increase the impact of science communication. With reference to her "citation rollercoaster" she reassured the audience that there is no right way to a career in science and although she acknowledged the role of serendipity in her career, she demonstrated that you can make your own luck through networking, listening to what others are doing, thinking laterally and watching out for opportunities. She also outlined her "selection criteria" for collaborators - choosing to work with people that she likes, respects and trusts.

Dr Linda Kennaugh (Patent Attorney and Principal, Wrays) also reinforced the importance of seizing opportunities when they come along. While working for several years in research labs she admitted that she didn't have a career plan and it was only through a chance meeting with an old uni friend that she made the transition from "the lab to the law". Reflecting on this, she now recognises the importance of having career goals and the critical role of mentors and networks in attaining them. However, her ability to juggle a new job in an unfamiliar setting combined with on the job training, part-time study and family commitments, which culminated in her recently becoming a principal of a national IP law firm, is testament to the fact that there are no set rules for a successful career.

Convenor of the forum, Dr Kate Howell, said it was very pleasing to receive so much positive feedback from participants, the vast majority of whom found the forum to be both useful and enjoyable.

"I'd especially like to thank all the speakers for the time and effort they put in to present at the forum, as well as the generous sponsors, illumina (Brad Duncan) and Bio-Rad (Thao Nguyen), for providing the drinks and nibbles that followed the formal proceedings, and the University of Western Australia, for providing the venue."